We received the following highly upsetting information from Mariette Liefferink (CEO: Federation for a Sustainable Environment):

“I visited the decant area within the West Rand Basin today (27 January 2010) with the news media. What we have feared, has now happened. Untreated Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) is now flowing uncontrollably from 18 Winze,17 Winze (lowest topographical points), fountains, etc. Into the receiving environment (Limpopo and Vaal River Catchments). The mine void water in the West Rand Basin was 1 cm from uncontrollable decant during the previous week. It has now reached the surface, and a significant volume of untreated AMD is flowing on the surface into the catchments. An unqualified volume of AMD continues to flow sub-surface. The environmental damage will be irreversible, and the ramifications are enormous”.

We may think that all this is happening far away from our Conservancy, but in the Citizen of 5 February 2010, a stern warning was issued that there would be a serious shortage of quality water for human consumption by 2025, in metropoles and urban areas such as the Witwatersrand, Durban and Cape Town, already by 2013.

It makes one think, does’nt it?

A comprehensive article about acid mine drainage, explaining how AMD comes about, the legal position and scope can be found on the FSE's website.  Click here to read "Joburg's poisoned well", as published in Noseweek.